This year Abhinavagupta's Jayanti was held on 5th of June 2025 Thursday. The occasion of his Jayanti should be observed with sincere devotion, and Kashmiri Pandits should hold their heads high in pride as the inheritors of great Saints, Seers, and Philosophers. Abhinavagupta was a leading philosopher, mystic, and aesthetician from Kashmir known for his work and contributions to Kashmir Shaivism, particularly with regard to Tantra. The celebrations usually include scholarly conversations, pujas and the remembrance of his deep, philosophical and spiritual views.
Abhinavagupta is a prominent figure in Kashmir Shaivism, non-dualistic philosophy emphasizing that all things are deeply inter-connected through Shiva, the supreme reality. Abhinavagupta created a framework to formulate Kashmir Shaivism integrating each of the schools of philosophy. Abhinavagupta Jayanti in the Shaiva tradition is an important day that acknowledges the birth anniversary of this eminent philosopher from ages past. Various developments take place, i.e. religious observances, scholarly discussions, and engagements to acknowledge Abhinavagupta's life and works. The Jayanti celebrates the many and important contributions that Abhinavagupta provided to Indian thought and Indian spirituality, and it offers a timely opportunity to engage with Abhinava Gupta's works and philosophy today. Several universities and organizations around the world also host webinars, or paper presentations for his Jayanti celebrations - an indication of Abhinavagupta's transnational impact. He studied all philosophies and arts available in his time with the supervision of over fifteen teachers and gurus.. Another potential major contribution was in aesthetics studies with his well-known Abhinavabharati commentary of Natyasastra of Bharat Muni. "Abhinavagupta'' was not his original name, but a title given to him by his Guru, literally it refers to "competence and authority." In his commentary on Tantraloka, Jayaratha who is also Abhinavagupta's most significant commentator also suggests three further meanings- "being ever vigilant", " everywhere being present" and "abiding by applause". Abhinavagupta was born in a caste of scholars and mystics from Kanyakubja, a Brahmin family that traced its origins from Kannauj where the great king Lalitaditya Muktapida invited to Kashmir.
He synthesized, rationalized and organized the philosophical knowledge into more meaningful arrangements, scrutinizing all of the resources available in his time, not unlike a modern scientific researcher. Kashmir Shaivism and particularly in Kaula accept as a premise that if one parent are embodied in Bhairava, then a progeny will be empowered by the spiritual and intellectual capacitates and, being born of such parents is viewed as a "possessor of knowledge" who "has the form of Shiva, even as a child in a womb," noting too only a couple of the classical attributes of one of his kinds. Abhinavagupta was born in Kashmir, in a Kanyakubja Brahmin family. His mother, Vimala passed away when Abhinavagupta was scarcely two years old, it is said that Avantinavagupta was very attached to his mother, with her loss he became increasingly more disconnected to the mundane, and more invested in renunciation and its spiritual engagement.
Abhinavagupta's first guru, taught him grammar, logic and literature. He came to Kashmir, at the behest of King Lalitaditya, around the year of 740 CE. Abhinavagupta is well known for his insatiable thirst for knowledge. To learn, he even had many teachers (as many as fifteen). He gathered both mystical philosophers and scholars. He found Vaisnavas, Buddhists, Siddhanta Saivists, and Trika scholars. Although he had many teachers, he mentions four - the two of Vamanatha - who taught dualistic Saivism, and Bhutiraja in the dualistic/nondualistic division. Bhutiraja is the teacher of the famous Abhinavagupt and the father of two famous scholars. The most revered guru for Abhinavagupta was Sambhunatha, whom Abhinavagupta, would compare to the sun, in its dispersing the ignorance of the heart, practitioner in early life, so soon enough he dissipated energy-ojas of his life force to broaden his idea of what the spiritual nervous system was that he describes in his texts, a nervous system that manifests a ritual union operation of Purusha as Shiva and Shakti. One must understand that this union something other than merely a physical or constricted as realized universal. So he always envisioned himself communing with Shiva and Shakti in conjunction with nature, actually as a living and breathing author and teacher. Abhinavagupta's personality is said to be the living manifestation of his vision. In conclusion it is not hyperbole to say that Abhinavagupta was a mystic-poet, philosopher, saint, teacher, author, and one of the greatest Shaivaite scholars known in all of India. So let us sincerely commemorate the birth-day anniversary of him in trustworthy commitment to his principles and teachings.
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